According to one known method of producing corn-based ethanol, in addition to ethanol, dried solids referred to as dried distillers' grains (DDG) or dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDDS), both particulate matter, are produced. DDG are conventionally shipped in transport containers, such as railcars, truck containers, or containers that may be hauled on a barge or a ship.
It is known to load particulate matter into transport containers. According to one known loading arrangement, facilitated by gravity, particulate matter is released from a storage container, through a spout, and into a transport container. Such known methods may not fully load the containers, as particulate matter loaded in this manner may not be densified (i.e., packed as fully as possible), and may form voids or empty spaces within the transport containers.
It would be advantageous to have a method and an apparatus or a system for loading particulate matter into a transport container that loads transport containers and that is capable of densifying the particulate matter (e.g., by minimizing the formation of voids or empty spaces during loading of the container).